SEX AS AN AGE EXTENDER: BOP TILL YOU DROP

There are two ways of looking at the picture. First, robust sexuality keeps you in a better position to stay disease-free. Second, avoiding disease-especially cardiovascular disease and diabetes-is the best thing you can do for your long-term sex life. So not only is sex healthy but also health is sexy.

And while abundant sex won’t guarantee that you live to be 96, consider this advice from our experts. As you’re preparing to live into your nineties as a result of other information you’ve gleaned from these pages, schedule in enough sex time.

You’re going to want it for the same reasons you want it now. It’s a way of having special intimacy with your partner, it’s an excellent form of relaxation, and it’s the best outlet for your horny desires.

“There’s no specific decline in libido with age,” says Alan Brauer, M.D., founder of the Brauer Total Care Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, and co-author of ESO: The New Promise of Pleasure for Couples in Love. “Sexual interest doesn’t change, even in men in their eighties and nineties.” And even at that age, you’ll probably be not only willing but also able. “Erection capacity in healthy men should remain-in fact, does remain- into their nineties,” Dr. Brauer says.

The key word there is healthy. Age per se doesn’t wilt your weapon, no matter what you’ve heard to the contrary. But disease does.

“The graph that shows progressive increases of erectile dysfunction with advancing age is from data taken from hospital populations, people with vascular disease, heart disease, diabetes, alcoholism, and so forth,” Dr. Vinik points out. “You take a population of healthy aging people, and that’s not going to occur.”

*65/36/5*

PREVENTIVE MEDECINE: OBESITY

It is impossible to be sure what proportion of the western world is obese but current estimates suggest that about 30 per cent are ‘clinically’ overweight. That obesity increases one’s chances of suffering from diabetes, heart attacks, gall-stones, hiatus hernia, cancers of all kinds, painful feet, arthritis of the hips and knees and several other conditions is now beyond dispute. It shortens life and reduces the quality of life for countless millions of people. Obviously obesity is a terrible health and social problem.

In the 1920s obesity was rare in African rural peoples and a 1960 study suggested that low body weights were lifelong in rural Zulu men. There is now overwhelming evidence that in certain ways the control mechanism of body weight somehow breaks down in an affluent society. Individuals in primitive societies have a kind of automatic regulator which controls the amount of effort they spend searching for food and the amount of food they consume. According to one world expert, ‘Supermarket Man has no such automatic facility.’

An adult man, wherever he lives and however he eats, who eats 1 per cent more energy every day than he expends accumulates 1 kg of fat per year. At 30 such a man would weigh 30 kg (66 lb) more than someone who had been in good energy balance for a lifetime. Obesity is a real hazard to hunter-gatherers because it slows them down, affecting their ability to catch prey and to escape animal predators. So in survival terms it pays the hunter-gatherer to keep slim. Such peoples get their food mainly from plants, and individuals spend 2-3 hours a day gathering food, three-quarters of which is supplied by women and children gathering and one quarter by men hunting. Many hunter-gatherers live long enough to become obese but they do not do so. In one study of such a group 7 per cent of the men were over 65 but they were all slim.

The first agricultural revolution, in about 10,000 BC, changed things radically for most of the world’s population as man began to farm cereals and to store food. The diet of today’s peasant agriculturalist has changed little since this time. Although food shortages occur in developing rural peasant communities, resulting mainly from population density and poor soil fertility, competent scientific observers say that even where the population is not dense, the soil is fertile and there are two harvests a year, body weight remains low throughout adult life.

Pastoral peoples plant no crops but raise animals and eat meat, blood and milk. Studies show that their blood cholesterol levels remain low despite the high intakes of animal fat and cholesterol, and that obesity is rare.

The second agricultural revolution started in Europe towards the end of the eighteenth century and crop rotation and fertilizers, together with better machinery and animal husbandry, changed western eating habits totally. The upper classes became wealthy; meat, butter and milk could be consumed throughout the year; and sugar intake went up, as did that of alcoholic drinks. Obesity suddenly became extremely common in the upper social classes, towards the end of the seventeenth century and even more so in the eighteenth century. Portraits of even quite young people of the time show double chins.

With the coming of the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century the production of goods and wealth really took off. This enabled radical changes in the production, storage and transport of food. Dietary fibre began to be milled out of bread-the staple diet of the masses. Salt, sugar and fat intakes rose and the consumption of starchy foods fell. Fruit and vegetable intakes rose steadily. People got less exercise, as machines began to do the work. Slowly food became so plentiful, even for the masses, that people began to eat snacks between meals as well as regular meals-themselves a luxury for many until 200 years before.

So why is obesity so common in the West and hardly ever seen in non-westernized peoples? The main answer is that our food has radically changed in character-it is not simply that we eat too much of it, as was previously thought. Over half the energy in the food of a hunter-gatherer or peasant agriculturalist comes from high-starch foods. Such a diet eaten even ‘to excess’ does not cause obesity, partly because it is almost impossible to eat an excess, so bulky and filling is it. At least two-thirds of the energy in a western diet comes from fibre-free fats and sugars and low-fibre cereal products. Undoubtedly, there are other factors in the production of obesity but, looking at populations overall, food is undoubtedly at the heart of the problem. That westernized people can slim by adopting a high-fibre (rich in unrefined carbohydrate) diet is no longer in doubt; and the observation that slim, rural dwellers in non-westernized countries can be made obese very quickly on a western diet is not easy to refute.

It seems that food intake stops when we feel we have had enough and that we feel satisfied sooner on foods rich in dietary fibre – i.e. unrefined carbohydrate foods. It is simply so easy to over-consume refined foods that have no appetite-controlling capacity that we in the West eat ourselves to obesity.

*58/72/5*

EYESTRAIN

More and more people are spending more and more time working on personal computers in their homes, and that could mean an increased risk of eyestrain or fatigue. In fact, if you spend several hours a day staring at a video display terminal (VDT), the risk of eyestrain is relatively high, unless you take some basic precautions.

One way to avoid “VDT eyestrain” is to take regular breaks and get away from the monitor screen. This is especially important if you spend a full work day (6 to 8 hours) working on a computer. Experts recommend that you take a 10 to 15 minute break every 2 to 3 hours and refocus your eyes (some doctors recommend that you take periodic breaks every 20 to 30 minutes and focus on distant objects). You may also consider working from a printout of your screen, rather than the screen itself, whenever possible.

Another way to avoid eyestrain is to work from a darker screen. Many times computer users operate their VDTs at such a bright level, eyestrain is a frequent result. Try turning the brightness down to a relatively dim level and then adjust the contrast knob in order to make up the difference. If background lighting is not adequate, an adjustable desk lamp may be of help.

You can also cut down on the amount of monitor-screen glare, which can lead to eyestrain, by making a hood to put over your VDT. You can make such a hood, using heavy black cardboard placed on top of your monitor. Both sides of the cardboard should be folded down over the VDT. Filters are also available to help

reduce the glare on the screen

*163/27/8*

HOW TO USE YOGA OR MEDITATION TQ RELIEVE TENSION, RELIEVE PAIN, AND FEEL BETTER

For some people, the ancient practice of yoga is the ideal way to induce relaxation response. In fact, many doctors recommend the practice of yoga for pain control and stress reduction. As practiced in the West ,yoga consists mainly of a combination of breathing, stretching and relaxation exercises which may be of great benefit in relieving tension and stress.

While there is no hard scientific evidence that yoga can be of benefit to overall health, there are indications that it may help in the cure and prevention of a wide range of disorders as well as in improving posture, strengthening certain muscles and enhancing flexibility.

The best way to perform yoga correctly is to attend classes led by an experienced instructor. Even though yoga exercises are performed slowly, and are safer than many other types of exercise, improperly performed they can cause injury.

To perform yoga exercises, you should wear loose clothing and no shoes. You should also find a room with few distractions and utilize a mat or a blanket ( When exercising, hold a position only as long as it is Comfortable and breathe normally through your nose. Stretch slowly and focus on relaxing a tight muscle You should not attempt an extreme yoga position without proper instruction.

123\27\8*

THE NATURAL HEALING POWER OF VITAMIN A AND BETA-CAROTENE

While vitamin A may be far from being a world-wide panacea, it is high on the list of vital nutrients. In recent years numerous medical research studies have revealed that certain fruits and vegetables rich in beta-carotene can help prevent cancer; cataracts; fight heart disease; strengthen the immune system; protect your skin from wrinkles; maintain good vision and prevent certain eye disorders such as night blindness; speed up the effective healing of wounds; eliminate acne and boils; and much more. While the research continues, there is no doubt that the natural wonders of Vitamin A, especially in the form of beta-carotene, is essential to the maintenance of good health.

There are two forms of Vitamin A—preformed Vitamin A or retinol is found only in foods of animal origin and provitamin A or carotene is found in foods of both plant and animal origin. It’s important to know the difference because preformed vitamin A can be toxic in large enough amounts over a long period of time. It builds up in the liver and cannot be excreted from the body in any significant amount. Toxicity can result from prolonged daily doses that exceed 50,000 IU in adults and children. The symptoms of a vitamin A overdose include nausea, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, loss of hair, dry itching skin, and drowsiness. The toxicity will clear up in a few days if the excessive intake is halted. Overdoses of Vitamin A (retinol) can be caused by eating an excessive amount of animal liver over an extended period of time, but is more commonly due to high doses of vitamin supplements.

*83\27\8*

CEREAL— THE BEST AND THE WORST

Not all cereals are equal in nutritional value. Some are high in sugar, while others have none. Some are fortified with up to 15 nutrients, and others aren’t fortified at all. Depending on which type you choose, cereal may not be your most healthful choice for breakfast. Here are some insider tips on choosing the best cereals from the worst:

1) The 6 to 8 grams of fiber in a one ounce serving of bran flakes with fresh fruit could make a good daily start on the National Cancer Institute’s recommendation that American adults consume from 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber a day.

2) Cereals that contain iron are also a good choice, especially for women. If you ^on’t eat red meat or other iron-rich foods, the American Dietetic Association suggests that you choose a cereal that contains at least 45 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance for iron. Also be sure to have orange juice or another vitamin C-rich drink with your cereal, otherwise the iron won’t be well-absorbed.

3) Nutritionists agree that breakfast should make up about one quarter of your daily nutrient requirements. A fortified cereal, with 25 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances can be helpful as long as you also eat a variety of healthful food throughout the day.

4) Select a cereal with no more than five grams of sugar. In general, the more sugar a cereal contains, the fewer complex carbohydrates and less dietary fiber it contains.

5) If you are primarily interested in insoluble fat—the kind that prevents constipation and may protect against colon cancer—select a cereal made with whole wheat. The best advice is to eat a multigrain cereal that will provide you with both soluble and insoluble fiber, or you can rotate among different types of cereals. Whatever you choose, it should have at least 2 grams of fiber per serving.

6) Try to avoid many of the hot cereals that are now available in single- serving packets. Hot cereal bought in large, economical boxes is not only as easy to cook on the stove or in the microwave, it’s also much less expensive. While the instant varieties may seem convenient, they quite often contain a lot of unnecessary salt and sugar.

7) Many cold cereals are highly processed, while hot cereals are less tampered with. However, some hot cereals, such as farina and Cream of Wheat are processed so highly they become very smooth and creamy and loose a great deal of their fiber. You can fortify your own cereal with fiber, by adding fresh or dried fruit, and with calcium by using skim or low-fat milk.

Whatever brand of cereal you buy, be sure to read the label so you’ll be certain it contains the nutrients you need.

*43\27\8*

HEART PROBLEMS

Read This If You Have A Heart Murmur

A report by Dr. T. Welch states that people who have heart murmurs are in danger of infections of the heart valve. Therefore, they should take antibiotics before, during, and after dental or surgical procedures.

3 Vitamins That Help the Heart

Several recent studies reveal that certain vitamins can help to reduce the blood levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol. This could cause a significant reduction in your risk of heart attack. These vitamins include beta carotene (15 to 20 milligrams per day), vitamin C, and Vitamin E. The best source of beta carotene is yellow vegetables, especially carrots.

Second Hand Smoke: New Data You Need To Know

A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association states that breathing second hand smoke results in increased heart attack risk. The study shows that non-smokers who are married to smokers have more heart attacks than nonsmokers who are also married to nonsmokers. This could result in as much as 35,000 heart attack deaths each year.

Baldness and Heart Problems

A study by Dr. Carlos Henera of the University of Texas Medical School shows the following. Men who lose their hair quickly also are twice as likely to have coronary heart problems. This is probably due to some genetic factors. It means that these men should pay particular attention to the other high heart attack risk factors. Lowering these other factors could help to normalize or lower bald men’s heart risks.

“Wonder Drug ” May Help Prevent A Stroke

People at high risk of stroke because of irregular heartbeat may benefit from taking low doses of warfarin, a blood-thinning drug.

According to the results of a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, warfarin can reduce the risk of stroke by almost 80 percent in people at high risk. The drug is already widely used to treat people who suffer from a heart irregularity also known as atrial fibrillation.

Following almost two years of tracking over 500 men with atrial fibrillation, researchers discovered that 23 men had suffered strokes— 19 were in a placebo group and 4 were using warfarin.

*148\27\8*